IndiGo crisis: Rohtak man drives overnight 800 km for son’s exam

While the Indigo flight cancellation row disrupted travel plans of a large number of passengers, its impact was also felt by the Panghal family of Mayna village in the district. After an Indigo flight was cancelled, Rajnarayan Panghal, a sports enthusiast and advocate, drove overnight to cover around 800 kilometres to Indore (Madhya Pradesh) so that his son could reach on time for his Class XII pre-board exam.

“My son Ashish Chaudhary Panghal (17), a shooting player, studies in XII, at a college in Indore. He had come home on leave and was scheduled to take his exams on December 8. Before that, he was to be honoured at the college in Indore on December 6 evening. His flight from Delhi to Indore was already booked, and I went to drop him at Delhi airport,” said Raj Narayan.

He said at the airport, they learned that the Indigo flight to Indore had been cancelled. The cancellation meant that Ashish would not only miss the award ceremony but also risk missing his pre-board exams starting December 8. Booking a confirmed train seat to Indore at a short notice was also difficult, he added.

“Faced with this situation, I decided that, regardless of the cancelled flight and unconfirmed train seat, I would ensure my son reached Indore on time for his exams. The distance from Delhi to Indore is approximately 800-kilometres. Acting on this decision, I drove overnight and successfully reached Indore the next day, ensuring my son arrived on time,” Raj Narayan said.